Of Rice and Men
by Ranma15177
Summary: In the hottest part of the summer there is little relief for a young student with a Master like Hiko, but there are endless jugs of Sake.


This is for everyone on the Snarky ffff.  
I'm making this my first fic on the new name for I don't own Kenshin. Unfortunately. If I did. I would probably have marital problems.

Shopping With Shishou  
Ranma151773012

Kenshin put his arm above his head to sheild his eyes from the sun and get sweat off his forehead. It had been a very hot summer, and the stores were running low on everything. Certainly it was more difficult to go shopping for goods when you lived on a mountain, but it seemed to Kenshin that they were spending the same amount of money and getting less goods. He was going to try his best to haggle the best deals, because his Shishou was not the best at such things. Money wasn't going as far due to civil unrest. Prices were going up and it seemed to Kenshin, that even in these farming communities, poverty was everywhere.

"Kenshin, you go pick up the rice, and the other stuff, I'll be right back." Kenshin eyed his master warily.

"Shishou, how will I pay? You just took all of the money with you?" There was a slight glare in Kenshin's eyes, which his master may or may not have noticed.

"The sun is awfully bright today isn't it? Alright Kenshin. We'll go together." Obviously he had noticed and he was just being a jerk.

Kenshin fell in step behind his master. It seemed that for every food stuff Kenshin picked up his master added another sake jug. "Shishou, How do..." He looked over at where his master should have been, and he was simply gone. "Shishou?" His eye caught a cape dissapearing into a stall. Kenshin threw up his young hands in defeat and followed, leaving all of their things behind.

"Hey! You there? Kid! You can't just leave all of that stuff there! What? Can't you pay? Don't mess up my things...if...oh, Kenshin...I didn't recognize you with that hat on. Don't tell me Master Hiko left someone as small as you to do all of the shopping?"

Kenshin ticked slightly and smiled lamely at the shop keeper. "No, not at all. Master is just completely unfocused and taken in by bright shiney objects. I was trying to refocus him...now I'm afraid I've lost him completely."

The man nodded his head. "Hermits like him are strange fellows. The other day I caught him petting one of the sake jars in the back and talking to it." Kenshin let his head fall forward and just nodded, in agreement.

"I had hoped that Shishou didn't do such things in public, it is..." But at that moment said Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi came stumbling out of a shop pulled the travelling hat off and placed a sake jug on Kenshin's head.

"I've just realized you lack balance! Kenshin, from this moment forward until we reach the cabin, you will balance this on your head."

"We've run out of room in the wagon haven't we?"

"JUST...do the same thing you did last week."

"We haven't been shopping in a month Shishou."

"Was that last month?"

Kenshin glared at him.

"That sun is awful isn't it Taski?"

"Ummm...yes...it's very bright. Are you going to be getting the supplies then ?"

"Oh, um. Well, I've been bargaining in another stall. I'll come back next month. Kenshin, come, and don't spill it." Kenshin followed at a slower pace, but he was used to carrying sake on his head by now.

Kenshin rounded the corner and the wagon was full of every type of sake jug in the small city. "Shishou! Where is the food? What will we eat? How will we li..."

"Kenshin..."

"Yes Shishou?"

"You're sloshing..."

"RICE?" Kenshin pointed at the wagon and his hand was shaking. Hiko held up a small bag. It was enough for at least a week. "Anything else?"

"I'm going to assume that was said in a more subdued manner than it came out. Kenshin, I'm trying to teach you a very important lesson."

"What? How to survive for two months on a weeks worth of RICE?" Every time Kenshin said the word rice it seemed to get louder and a little more manic.

"Um, actually no. The lesson escapes me at the moment. We'll get back to it. Besides, I think the rice is making you upset, you might want to lay off of it for a while. Let's get back home. I've just had the most excellent inspiration for a pot I'd like to throw..."

"...like to throw you..."

"What was that Kenshin?"

"Nothing Shishou." It had occured to Kenshin that true victories come about from being patient. One day he would be carrying giant sacks of rice, and he would be happy, pleased, to carry huge vats of red miso. He would get the tofu. It would be glorious.

"The sun is making you smile in a creepy way Kenshin. Please stop."

"Yes Shishou." Kenshin put his arm above his head to sheild his eyes from the sun and get the sweat off his forehead the jug of sake tilted and splooshed merrily in the terrible heat.

Owari

Well, there we go. This one sort of wrote itself because someone made a comment about Kenshin & Hiko's relationship. I could almost imagine the way Kenshin slowly built up a very thick skin with Hiko as a master. By nature Kenshin is not a rough individual, but Hiko seems to try his patience more than anyone else. There is no such thing as a Rurouni mask when Hiko is there with him. He is allowed to be just exactly who he is…and that is what makes their dynamic so interesting to me.


End file.
